How has natural gas production remained at record levels, even though the number of gas drilling rigs has fallen and gas prices have crashed?
Part of the answer is that the number of wells drilled that produce both oil and gas has jumped. In 2007, 37% of wells produced both oil and gas but 56% did by 2012. As oil prices rose and gas prices fell, rigs moved from gas to oil but now produce both at least 56% of the time.
http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=13551.
I know you don't mean this as an endorsement; it is just a fact. But here is another fact. More's the worse for our climate. You know that, too. With PA already responsible for 1% (0.01) of the world's greenhouse gases according to the PA Climate Change Action Plan (which you wrote), while we have at 12.7 million just 0.00177 of the world's population of 7.2 Billion people, If everyone contributed the same carbon on average, then PA contribution would be 0.18%. But instead PA contribution is 1%, or 5.56 (almost 600%) times the average contribution (1 / 0.18). That's a fact, too, and a climate justice issue of the highest order.
ReplyDeleteYou are right that PA's portion of total carbon emissions was 1% in 2009. It is a bit less now because of two reasons. First, PA emissions have actually fallen since 2009. But global carbon emissions have increased (led by huge increases in China). As a result the PA portion is closer to 0.75%. But your basic point stands.
Delete